Deter Rabbits From Your Yard With The Help Of An Overlooked Herb

It may be fun to enjoy the sight of a rabbit or two eating plants in your backyard, but it's not so fun once they realize that your garden has tasty treats, too. Rabbits are motivated enough to find a way in, and they will likely come back once they've discovered a new food source. Before you contemplate installing a fence around your garden, you may be able to keep those bunnies at bay simply by growing plants they don't like around the ones they do. A diverse assortment of pollinator-friendly plants is likely to attract more pollinators, too, so it's a win-win for the garden — if not for the rabbits. 

Rabbits don't care for plants that are overly fragrant, or ones that have fuzzy or prickly features. And one herb that matches exactly that description is borage (Borago officinalis). This plant produces beautiful blue blooms that, while edible for humans, are not ideal for small animals. Whether you're growing a garden for culinary purposes or primarily to attract pollinators, adding a few borages can help keep those hungry, hungry rabbits away.  

Borage grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 2 through 11. If you're not sure how to figure out what hardiness zone you live in, it's worth knowing that this covers nearly the entire United States. The plant enjoys both partial to full sun and well-drained soil, and it'll tolerate drought once it's established. It grows 1 to 3 feet tall and, although it's an annual, it'll self-sow if left to go to seed after it blooms, which likely means more new borages next year without any effort or expense on your part. 

If you have pets that enjoy that area of your yard, you should know that borage is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.  On the other hand, it produces profuse amount of nectar and pollen, and it's a favorite of honeybees. Its flowers have a flavor reminiscent of cucumber, and the leaves, rich in vitamin C and minerals, may be used in salads. Borage also adds nutrients back into the soil, so it's a great addition to any garden — or even the compost pile. It's one of many deer-resistant plants you might want to grow, and it even repels cabbage and tomato worms, too, which should help protect your vegetables. 

And as for those rabbits? While they're less likely to roam through plants they don't like to get to the ones they do, borage on its own probably won't completely bunny-proof your garden. Rabbits enjoy nibbling on certain seedlings and saplings, so it's best to protect any young plants with small, temporary fences or cages to keep the critters out.